A Sandwich a Day: The Jive Turkey at Kraftsmen Café

In this great nation of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around the country. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know.—The Mgmt.

[Photo: Mike Riccetti]

As the retail outlet for a commercial bakery that supplies many of the city's top restaurants, you can expect that the sandwiches at Kraftsmen Café to be worth the trek to this largely residential section of the Heights in Houston. The Jive Turkey ($10 with chips) certainly is. It's terrific, in fact.

Arriving in the center of a stark white plate, the sandwich halves reveal a somewhat odd assortment of colors: pink, orange, bright green, cream, deep brown, and white and light beige. These are from the slices of hickory-smoked turkey, chipotle-infused mayo, wedges of avocado, melted Provolone, thoroughly caramelized onions, and the interior and crust of a sturdy ciabatta-like striata roll, respectively. The first-rate, multi-hued assemblage tastes slightly sweet with the plentiful onions, often rich, and thoroughly enjoyable throughout.

Kraftsmen Café

About the author: Mike Riccetti is a Houston-based food writer, Zagat editor and author of Houston Dining on the Cheap. He writes frequently about restaurants, food and drink, and occasionally less important topics. Some of his previous stuff is posted at MikeRiccetti.com.